


The Rookie

by human_collector



Category: Junjou Romantica, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi
Genre: Gen, Junjou Mistake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/human_collector/pseuds/human_collector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaka Ryuichirou is still a rookie in Marukawa publishing as his coworkers like to remind him. He is one of the few who got stuck with the job of handling novice authors and making them into profit. He does such a good job it doesn't sit with many people. But he isn't affected by them. He's good and proud of his work. But someday that good work will cost him his freedom, for a while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rookie

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little gift from me to you Sih/JR fandom.  
> Enjoy

Isaka Ryuichirou crossed his feet on the edge of his desk as he started reading a new manuscript he was given a day ago. He looked past the grammatical and syntax errors as he made notes to the margin of the paper. 

After the manuscript was mostly covered in pencil, he sat properly and wrote down everything; from the author’s best ideas, his own additions and the way those could combine in the final product. This was his favourite part of being in Marukawa publishing. 

The authors he was assigned to were nobodies, newborn artists with no fame in their name. It was up to Isaka to raise them properly so both he and they make their earnings.  
It was the only way he could analyze anything; writing it down. The older staff members complained when they had to go over his notes because they were very thorough and difficult to understand. Isaka, tired of their laziness one day, decided to proof-read his notes on his own and although it took a lot more effort, the fruits of his labor were always excellent.  
This author that he was working with now, had talent, but he made too many mistakes by rambling in their writing. Isaka had met them a week ago and he was introduced to an actual real life radio. They would not shut up. But they were interesting. Isaka liked his silence but a person who can talk that much must have writing as their outlet.

Isaka crossed out two of their ideas and looked at the edited script from the start. He thought this novel would sell. It was original and interesting enough for all types of readers. He couldn’t wait to show it to the head editor. After checking it a third time, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Coffee. He needed some coffee.  
He got up and almost got stepped on by a woman who was carrying a stack of papers, taller than her head. She eyed him through her brown glasses and huffed as she headed for her seat, her heels clicking rhythmically. 

Isaka didn’t even react to her. He was the boss’ son he didn’t have time for pointless arguments.  
He got his coffee, came back to his seat, opened the can and took a small sip from it as he took upon another manuscript of a person he worked with before. He made light note of the usual mistakes they always made and began reading. About midway he was clutching the weakly stapled stack, his hands shaking and a big smile plastered on his face. His author really had outdone themselves this time. The characters had layers, the environment was continual, and the story wasn’t boring. This novel could be a Marukawa best seller if done right and Isaka would not let anyone touch this manuscript if his life depended on it.

He stretched, groaning loudly, only to notice that his section was completely empty. He eyed the clock to see that it was way past the time when everyone went home for the day and sighed. His old man would be angry at him again. He ran a hand through his hair again and rubbed his eyes. He placed the manuscripts gently into his bag, drank all of the lukewarm coffee that was left in his tin and threw it in a bin nearby.

He looked around if he forgot anything, strapped his bag over his shoulder and just noticed the female janitor who came in through the elevator, probably done with the upper floors.  
“Son, what are you doing here this late? I was about to lock you in” the janitor said with her incredibly high voice.   
“Sorry, I was just leaving” Isaka said passing her and pressing the elevator button. She looked at him sternly until the elevator doors closed with Isaka behind them. Dad didn’t allow anyone but the veteran editors to pull all-nighters in the company, since they’ll produce results while inexperienced people will just have an unproductive sleepless night. Isaka was instructed by him to leave the company for his own safety. He really hated his father’s overprotectiveness.

He rode the elevator to the entrance lobby and after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he walked through the glass doors and into the chilliest night thus far in the month.  
He didn’t made even two steps towards the bus stop when a man, taller than him, in a dark colored suit and tired looking eyes stepped out of a car and held a door open.   
“Ryuichirou-sama good work” his low voice rumbled as he motioned Isaka to come and enter the car. He must’ve been waiting long, in the silence of the night, with only faceless radio hosts in his company. Isaka was irked by this and almost threw a fit if it weren’t for Asahina’s stern glare. He looked away and sat in the back seat of the car, completely ignoring Asahina and hugging his bag close. 

The ride home was unbearably silent. Isaka’s glare was fixed on the rear-view mirror he could see Asahina’s hair waving slightly as if they were carried by a breeze, almost hypnotizing Isaka. Asahina quiet as always was paying attention to the road but Isaka swore every time his eyes closed from his tiredness catching up to him he looked at him dead on from the rear-view mirror.  
When they reached the Isaka residence Asahina took the bag from Isaka’s hand and headed inside followed closely by the bag’s owner.  
Isaka and Asahina greeted the former’s father, who was in his office smoking and reading a book deeply and then the servant guided Isaka to his room, let the bag inside and excused himself to his room.

Isaka coughed loudly and used his fingertips to part his hair behind his ears. He had no appetite to sleep. He had no appetite to look over the manuscripts one more time either.   
Asahina grew more handsome by the day he realised. Those fifty-five minutes in the car turned him on. He looked so good in a suit too. Too bad he had it for Isaka’s old man. His father saved him and he had been in love with him ever since. There was no way he could get between that. He just had to look. Just look at him and nothing else.   
Isaka felt tightness into his pants and sighed. Dammit and he was doing so well. He went in his personal bathroom, turned on the shower, undressed and went in. The hot water was soothing on his muscles and the soap helped him thrust into his hand better.

He came quite violently. Murmuring quietly about his idiocy and how there was no chance Asahina would look at him that way, he wrapped a towel around him and took another one for his hair. He came out of the bathroom towel drying his hair with one hand. As he placed the towel on his bed he saw Asahina right beside his chest of drawers.  
“Ryuichirou-sama your hair is still wet” Asahina said sending shivers of pleasure right through Isaka’s half-naked body. Asahina took the liberty to dry his head while their faces were inches apart from each other.

Isaka glared at him but indulged him since Asahina would be upset if he didn’t serve him too. For some reason he liked spending more time with him than his father and Isaka did not understand why. Maybe it was because of age but he always tended the rookie editor without a complaint. 

Isaka loved him but it was hopeless. Asahina would never be his. How he wanted to pull on his ugly tie and kiss him, drown in him, taste him. Isaka’s glare became more intense while the secretary helped him dress and Asahina asked him if he was okay. He replied that he was and that he’d like to go to sleep now.

Asahina bid him good night and left for his own room. Isaka bit his lip, looking at Asahina’s back going further and further away from him and sighed.  
He lifted his sheets, crawled in and groaned in annoyance. He was whining like an eleven year old kid even though he celebrated his twenty-second year months ago.  
He’d have to talk to both authors tomorrow about his corrections, the final page numbers, he’d have to start on the cover’s art and have the books done and printed in the next week hopefully.   
He was so glad he worked in the novel section of Marukawa because it was easier to edit and publish words rather than pictures with text like the comics sections did.  
Like a grumpy old man he grumbled about his problems to nobody and let his own voice lull him to sleep. He closed his eyelids and let the comfy bed comfort him.  
The next morning Asahina was up before him and insisted on helping him dress. Isaka usually went with dark blue suit pants and a white checked shirt that complimented his eyes but Asahina pushed him to wear a black one today. No reason, he said, he just wanted ‘Ryuichirou-sama’ to vary his tastes a little bit.

Isaka felt his servant’s hands pulling the buttons closed, smoothing out the crinkles, tightening his belt. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks as these two warm hands took such good care of him. He threw a heated fond glare to Asahina and quickly shielded his expression up so Asahina couldn’t pick up anything.  
He looked at those tired eyes and internally sighed. 

“Come on Ryuichirou-sama, I’ll take you to work today. Your father is busy with some other business today and he’ll be running late.”  
“Can’t I take the train Asahina? Aren’t you needed here as his secretary anyway?” Isaka said bitterly.  
“He can deal without me for one hour. Let’s go.”  
“…..”   
Isaka couldn’t find any other argument to make Asahina stay away from him so he went with the flow. He sat to the passenger seat while Asahina took the driving seat.   
Isaka felt a lump down his throat and swallowed it. He was gorgeous up close. Isaka dug his nails to either side of his seat and looked directly in front of him. The sight of the road seemed to calm him down and the music wasn’t bad either.

He started drifting off in his imagination where he was already at the office, coffee at hand telephone in the other, informing his authors about their pages, calling Niko for the cover art with the author in the other line and assigning the details.  
Then they would negotiate with the head editor and the sales about the copies.   
Then Haruhiko would call as he always does on the exact same time every week to ask him how everything is going. Isaka would make a sarcastic retort and Haruhiko would say he has work and has to hang up.

But sometimes the Marukawa office would get a special guest. Usami Haruhiko’s little brother, Akihito would visit with his laptop clutched to his chest, tears in his eyes and a thick blush of embarrassment tinting his cheeks. Isaka after reading his incredible story told him whenever he finished a new one to come by the office and they’d sit together to look it over.   
Akihito hated sharing his stories with people he didn’t know, but Isaka was a family friend so the only thing left was total embarrassment. Isaka showed him once the sales of his first published book to calm him down from an angry fit, and the young boy was bewildered at the numbers of people. Ever since then he was reluctant yes, but not really ready to give up coming to Marukawa.  
Isaka was really proud of himself when he scouted him, although it did make him realize he could never write something like Akihito’s stories ever in his lifetime.   
The car stopped, Asahina got out and went around the car only to find his master already outside of the vehicle heading through the gates of the company. His bag was crooked and his shirt was out from his pants and Asahina was exasperated with him.

Ryuichirou-sama has hated him for half their lives now. He missed him. He missed him coming to him and asking for things to do together. He missed being important to him. In every opportunity he jumps in and fixes Ryuichirou-sama’s tie or helps him out of the bath but he only gets a glare in return.   
Despite his cold behavior towards him he always protected him, from either funny looks whenever he opened his door like a chauffeur or any other attempt to service him. And Ryuichirou-sama was a delight to be around. He was optimistic and cheerful, serious and focused at work, at least when he saw him from afar in the company he was. Asahina sighed heavily and smiled at the small hidden memories of them as kids he always visited when he was sad. 

He got his phone from the car as it was ringing. He got a call from Isaka-sama that he’d be at work by train so he didn’t need him to come get him and he could go straight in to the office.  
He locked the car and breathed in. He let it out and followed Isaka inside the building.   
The lobby was crowded with smokers and after taking a look around to see if Ryuichirou was amongst them he took the elevator to his floor.  
Isaka was talking to the radio-mouthed author since getting done with them first would save a little daylight. Both the editing and the cover would be starting today. He would deal with the printing office when he was certain that everything was in order. 

Isaka closed the phone, his author’s voice thanking him a million times still ringing in his ear.  
He took a swig from his coffee can and looked at his watch. What to do now? His other author was probably working on developing the novel already. They were too eager that they could never wait for his permission or any other indication to start on their novels and Isaka loved that about them because they saved his ass from the printing office quite a few times.  
He wanted to call them and talk. So he dialed their number and waited.

After two rings and another swig of coffee, the author answered with a mumble.  
Isaka politely told them the manuscript was accepted and the author cheered loudly in his ear, making him sigh. Together they agreed on a deadline based on previous experiences and the authors speed, the author thanked him deeply with a low voice and hung up the line.  
Isaka rubbed his eyes and yawned. He was at the start of his cycle as Marukawa liked to call schedules but he couldn’t wait to get on his hands working. He pulled his laptop close to the edge of his desk and started it up.

A minute later he was greeted by his depressing, full of icons, desktop.  
He dragged the document to the center of the screen, a bad habit of his and clicked on it. Then he cracked his knuckles and started writing. He had written a base on paper long ago and he used it as reference as he edited and altered the text document.  
Isaka felt the time flow as he worked on his document, but as he was engrossed in his writing which was beginning to take shape nicely, he only felt the tiredness built up on his shoulders since he barely moved.

He was nearly done when his mobile phone rang waking him up from the trance he was in. It was his father asking him to… gather everyone from his station to the lobby? But the reason why was missing and knowing his father this wouldn’t end well.

He did as told and after shoving his phone screen in his colleagues’ faces because they wouldn’t believe him otherwise he led them to the lobby where most of the staff was held.  
Isaka-senior was standing behind the reception desk, with the microphone in his hand and sporting a proud smile.  
Once the commotion settled down, he cleared his throat and looked at his employees with a mischievous glint in his eyes. A wave of suspicion fell on the shoulders of everyone.

“Everyone has worked hard this past year. Sales increased and so did the company’s popularity. Therefore we have more authors to our care than ever. So-”  
Everyone froze and waited with their guard up.

“I have planned a New Year’s party to celebrate. Attendance is mandatory and do please wear something nice everyone, because your authors will be there as well.”  
Many groaned in disbelief and Isaka-senior smiled. 

“Make sure you reach your deadlines by tomorrow afternoon” he said adjusting his coat on his shoulders. The editors groaned and sighed again and disbanded.  
The father and son made eye contact and Isaka realised what this was. It was for him. This whole thing was for him to be in the center of.  
Isaka shivered and turned a heel away from his father. He went back to his station and continued where he left off. He didn’t know what the old man was planning but he couldn’t deal with it now. He was almost done with the edited script. Just a few more words and he’d finish.

He began typing furiously now completely focused on his document.  
For some reason no one was allowing him to work on his project properly. People asked him for help in dealing with an author of theirs or as the party was announced people were on his case about what would it include which he replied he didn’t know.

Speaking about the party there were a few people who teased him mercilessly about it.   
He of course ignored them but the harsh jabs they threw at him, kind of hurt. Dealing with gossipers was never his strong suit but he got by staying silent or glaring at them intensively until they stopped.

In the end he ended up finishing half of the author’s pages. He wanted to stay and finish the last forty-something that remained but his father himself dragged him out of the company and into the car Asahina drove.   
His father talked animatedly and Isaka listened while watching the people they passed outside of his window. The ride felt slower than usual and Isaka felt a subtle pain brewing in his heart. He hadn’t missed any of the hints his father threw at him. 

Apparently this was a more subdued way of getting him a partner. He was already talking of inheritances and passing down the company as if he was tired of it and wanted to discard it on his son as quickly as possible.  
Isaka understood that yet a flame of rebelliousness made him turn to his father and ask if he could stay an employee forever. It didn’t go that well, because his father slapped him, claiming that he’d do it whether he wanted or not. 

He spotted Asahina smirking through the corner of his eye and that made him feel a bit better. They arrived and Isaka tired by everything just headed straight to his bedroom, plopped on his bed and closed his eyes. Asahina came a few moments later, pulled the covers back, maneuvered Isaka inside them and tucked him like a small child.   
“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep like that Ryuichirou-sama” he said laughing under his breath and ruffling the young master’s hair. Isaka’s body was cold and Asahina brushed away an eyelash.  
Then he left for his own room and the entire house slipped into darkness. 

\--------

The next day was deemed frustrating by Isaka from the moment he was forcibly woken up.  
Asahina dressed him classily and together with his father they headed, not for the company but a convention hall. Isaka-senior made his son pick every arrangement, food item and drink they would have that night. He made him supervise everything and it took until lunch to get everything settled. They took the lunch with them and ate it on their way to Marukawa.   
Then Isaka went to work. He only had a few hours until his dad would drag him from his desk again and make him stand for hours greeting people.   
He avoided everyone as he took off his coat and began finishing his editing script.  
He was proud to time himself just right and he printed his creation. He secured it in a brown folder and sealed it. He wrote the author’s address on it and breathed out a big sigh.   
Now all that was left was informing the printing office to come and get it. It was their regular printers too so the exchange wouldn’t take that long. He called one of his friends over at the printing office and arranged it. 

“Oh Isaka, Kaoru called yesterday. He said you were onto something good yesterday”  
Isaka didn’t get it until he remembered yesterday’s manuscript. Asahina must’ve gone through his stuff. He was going to get a tongue lashing for that.  
He replied that he didn’t know what he was talking about and quickly hang up.  
He cleaned his desk, got his papers in order and opened up a new document. He loaded the digital manuscript from his email and was stopped by a hand that reached over his shoulder, saved his document and closed the lid of his laptop screen. Isaka took a whiff and recognized the scent. It was his father’s favourite shampoo and cologne, both of which he avoided.  
But it wasn’t his father the one who twisted his chair around and leaned very near his face so their eyes aligned. 

It was his childhood pain in the ass friend Asahina. His eyes were hypnotizing and the trance Isaka was falling felt like an endless black hole. Isaka almost fainted but a blink and stretching his arms above his head did the trick to wake him up from it. Dizzy he rubbed his eyes and stood up, gathered his things and followed Asahina to the car.  
Asahina opened the door for him and for once Isaka was grateful. He had fallen face first on to the car’s back seat and felt Asahina strap himself in the driver’s seat a moment later.

“Ryuichirou-sama please fix your dress shirt and wear your coat before you go inside. Your father is already there.” 

“I know, Asahina” Isaka said straightening his tie. 

Isaka got comfortable on the back seat and sighed.   
They arrived twenty minutes later and Asahina made sure that Isaka was dressed properly.  
Isaka pushed the doors harshly and smiled widely to an already gathering crowd. He greeted them all with a cheery voice and joined his father’s side, shaking hands along the way.  
As the convention room got more crowded the more time passed and Isaka’s father had already introduced him to many, many new authors and he greeted all of his current ones who saluted him with gratitude.

Isaka felt his authors’ tiredness and felt pity towards them. Writing stories was surely a job that required a lot of time.   
Isaka felt tired all of a sudden so he took a seat to the first chair he saw and buried his head in his arms which were perched on his knees.   
He sighed. Rubbing his eyes lightly he looked to the center of the convention hall where many women with elegant dresses danced lightly to the music like nymphs, holding the hands of their partners tightly.

The editors were chatting with each other in an easy going fashion; they spent many hours of the day together so it is nearly inevitable that some sort of friendship between them will form.  
Isaka was a bit jealous of them but at the same time he felt relieved he was alone. He sighed again and caught the attention of a nearby coworker of his.   
She came next to him and leaned in to whisper in his ear if he was okay. He assured her that he was fine but she wasn’t convinced and her friends soon joined her around him after a quick text.  
Isaka felt his fake smile falter and fall which made the people around him get closer to him. He felt a rumbling throb in his gut and the beginning of a slight anxiety episode.   
He assured and reassured them that he was fine and pleaded them to give him some space. But suddenly something cleared the way for him.  
A stumbling drunk person fell right through the small crowd and on Isaka’s shoes.

When he came to and stood up, Isaka could see how red his eyes were and he was wavering. He looked pathetic, Isaka thought without delay.  
The person pointed at Isaka his glare turning menacing and baring his teeth.   
“You’re a little idiot” Isaka made out from the drunk slurs, “hoggin’ all of t’e women your’elf, you basta’d of a ‘hild”. Isaka looked at him with disgust and got up from his seat, ready to insult him back.

He got near him enough to smell his awful, alcohol scented breath and he looked at the person who was on the verge of collapsing.   
Before Isaka managed to even utter a word, the guy started screaming. He was whining so much about Isaka was always getting the successful authors while his authors just dump all the work on him and are completely lazy. He yelled about how some of them quit just spiting him and finding other companies to publish their work.  
Isaka noticed the man’s trembling shoulders and placed his hands on them, squeezing lightly. The man immediately quieted down and bowed his head.  
He had noticed this person once in between two massive piles of paper. Edited manuscript after edited manuscript was rejected by his authors. He was in tears because of his tiredness and Isaka guessed that happened often. 

Isaka pushed away the crowd and dragged the guy outside.   
He was looking far ahead and didn’t notice the person taking out his cell phone and calling someone.  
Isaka held him by the waist and let him breathe the cold air of the night to recover somewhat and sober up.  
The person blinked several times and passed out. Isaka almost fell to the ground with him but he was smart to let go. The man curled up on the veranda floor and slept. Isaka groaned internally.  
But then he heard a light bang coming from the parking lot. It sounded like a car door was opened and closed. Isaka as far as he knew all of the guests arrived hours ago and this definitely wasn’t someone they had invited.

A police officer appeared to see a frozen on the spot Isaka and a body next to him.   
They hurried to the side of the man and Isaka kneeled down as well watching them check if the man was still breathing regularly.  
Isaka hurried to explain his situation, how the person got incredibly drunk and they were just out for some air when he fainted, but the police officer stopped him.

“Sir, are you aware that I responded to a call from this man?”

“EH? Excuse me, no I didn’t”

“Calls are direct permission for arrest, do you understand that?”

“No-o. But he got drunk on his own and called you by accident. I am not involved in it”

“Sir you need to spend time in holding until the matter is settled.”

Isaka looked at them. He took out his phone and wrote a text to Asahina, explaining for the second time what happened and allowed the police officer to take him into the car and lock him inside while they went inside the convention hall to talk to others. 

The man was still unconscious and Isaka yelled at him from the locked car banging the window as hard as it was allowed to wake him up and stop the police officer, but he slept peacefully without a care in the world.

Isaka groaned and fell back on his seat, cursing everything that came to his lips.  
He looked at the roof of the car and began contemplating about things.  
Soon, the oxygen in the car started to run out. The car was hot from before he got in and the windows were all shut up to the last millimeter. Isaka felt his breaths becoming more rapid and long. He passed out on the car seat a few moments later holding on to his chest.

He woke up in a cell a few hours later. He had a wet towel on his forehead and his coat draped over him like a sheet. He checked his watch and sighed.   
He felt the wet towel with his fingertips and moved it around to cool off his forehead better.   
He got up and sat on the bench properly. He put his coat back on because he was freezing. He licked his lips and muttered that he was thirsty. The cell was empty besides him.  
Just when he was considering taking off his shirt and squeeze the sweat out to drink it, he heard the clacking of heels approach him. A hand with a water bottle extended through the bars and Isaka hurried up and snatched it from it.

He sipped it so he wouldn’t choke but the bottle didn’t leave his lips until all the water was gone.  
He looked at the figure, which was illuminated by the dim lighting on their left and simultaneously shadowed by the dark corridor on their right.

“How is he?” Isaka said feeling a headache coming.  
“He is currently in his home all safe and sound” the officer replied cheekily and Isaka groaned loudly enough for it to echo.  
The officer smiled at him and said   
“Now all you need to do is wait for someone to come get you”  
“Don’t I get a phone call?”   
“No need, they are on their way as we speak”

A door was heard opening in the distance harshly and loud, fast footfalls came up to the bars in haste.

Asahina appeared, coughing harshly and grabbing the bars for stability. He must’ve parked the car far for he had built up sweat and he looked like he fought through a crowd to get there.  
Isaka knows him well enough to know that he did all that by himself. He always pulls on his shirt when he’s anxious, he always pulls on his hair when something doesn’t go right and he always looks like he’s about to tear up if he feels alone. 

Isaka leaned back against the wall and smiled widely. Asahina was never good at hiding things and Isaka liked him that way.   
Isaka got up and slowly made his way to the cell bars, grabbing them and looking Asahina dead in the eyes. He was smiling at the tired eyes and the messy look. Asahina stayed quiet but grabbed Isaka’s hands and rubbed them with his thumbs. 

When the officer came back with the paperwork that was needed to be filled, Asahina ran a hand in Isaka’s hair and left him by himself to go take care of it.  
Isaka wished he didn’t do that because now he was a blushing like a radish. 

Soon Asahina returned and he took Isaka with him to the car supporting him by holding him by the waist and having one of his arms over his neck.  
Isaka allowed himself to lower his guard and lean his head on Asahina grateful that he was a few centimeters taller than him.   
Asahina normally would have pushed him away but this time he didn’t even try.

They walked like that for a while until they reached the car. Isaka took the passenger seat and Asahina the driving seat.  
They rode the car home enduring the traffic, the dodgy radio station the silence between them. Isaka sighed under his breath and focused on the streets they passed.  
When they arrived home, Asahina practically carried his boss’ son to the couch. He patted his head and went to head up the leftovers from lunch. He didn’t see Isaka eat anything since he was occupied greeting people and then the incident happened.   
He also made him some eggs because he likes them.   
He put the rice, the cut meat and the eggs in a tray took it to the living room and gave it to Isaka who thanked him for the meal and started munching on it gratefully.

“Go slower Ryuichirou-sama you are going to-”  
“AH, crap”

“Finish eating and give me your clothes Ryuichirou-sama. I’ll put it with the rest of the laundry, to wash it tomorrow” Asahina said taking off his coat and folding it over his arm.  
Isaka did as told and stripped out of all of his clothing apart from his underwear and gave it to Asahina, while he retreated to his room. It was the end of a long night and Isaka was glad to have a proper bed to sleep on. 

He pulled the covers back, not caring to put on pajamas on, jumped in and covered himself up. He got comfortable and let the heaviness of the quilt lull him to sleep.  
The next day was hectic as usual but Isaka pulled through just fine by not allowing any distraction get in his way of work for the first five hours. He edited his author’s book and notified the cover maker, called them and told them the changes he made to it, if they had any problem with them and if the page limit is okay as it was.  
The author agreed with everything Isaka told them and he could tell that they had contemplated and considered everything and they were completely honest when they said yes.  
Isaka, satisfied with that told them that their book would get on printing in two weeks and it’ll hit the shelves whenever the chief editor, he and the sales agree on an amount to print. 1300 Copies would be a fair amount Isaka thought but the sales people were hard to convince.   
He informed the head editor that he was done with both of his projects and she told him that he was allowed to take a two day off after he helped the other editors on his table complete their work as well.

Isaka groaned and said that he would not help them because it would ruin the rhythm they set for themselves but the chief was having none of it. She told Isaka that at the rate they are going they will never finish and ordered him to get to it, if he wanted to stay at the novel department and not be transferred to his nemesis the manga section.  
He assured her that he would get to it and she strolled back to her seat sitting and crossing her legs with a threatening glare that meant “I am constantly watching you”.  
So he started making rounds, asking the editors the basic questions: who is your main character, who is your villain, why is he the villain, how will the plot thicken from there on, et cetera.  
Isaka fell into a concentration mode where he used a lecture type tone to talk and advice the editors and they were all ears, focusing their hearing on him and their hands on their keyboards. He corrected a mistake and praised another that fitted the story better. 

The chief watched him talking to the editors as if it came natural to him. She could never achieve what he was doing right now and she was glad, that the company owner’s son was in her section.   
Isaka Ryuichirou was the most capable editor and he didn’t want to do this in the first place. Once she discovered that he was that good she fought tooth and nail to get him for herself.   
Their section flourished and fewer authors fled to other companies. Isaka had a natural talent and she was glad he was theirs.  
It was midday the next day when all of her editors were collapsed either on the floor or on their desks reeking of sweat and tiredness. She tired herself after guaranteeing that everything had gone smoothly the last hours, beckoned everyone to go home and rest.

She heard groans of complaint but everyone complied and in the saddest march she saw until that day, they all got up, stretched and moved as one to the elevators holding their briefcases close to them.

Isaka was dead and he probably wouldn’t be able to move if he wasn’t anyway so she left him there and went home as well.  
A whole of six hours later, Isaka woke up with a terrible headache, his back hurting a lot from sleeping on his desk and he stank. He looked at a clock opposite of him to find it was time to stop work.  
Out of nowhere Asahina approached him and after gathering his things together and Isaka yawning deeply they left the company to go home.

END.


End file.
